Valve keeper inserter



Jan. 31, 1933.. H. w. KULP T L 1,896,001

VALVE KEEPER INSERTER Filed May 4, 1952 gary h u/p, Muffin C R/#716 .29 carburetor, steering rod, chassis frame Patented Jan. 31, 1933 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY W. KULP AND MARTIN C. DELLINGER, F LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA VALVE KEEPER INSERTER Application filed May 4, 1932. Serial No. 609,307.

This application is for improvements on our invention set forthin our Patent -No. 1,850,268, granted March 22, 1932, for posi tioning tools.'- I 1 This present invention relates to one-hand plier type tools primarily intended for use in inserting and properly positioning the removable locking means cooperating with the lowerend portions respectively, of the respective valve stems of an internal combustion engine to limit the downward movement of the respective spring retainers or cupsor washers, in connection with the operations necessary to the grinding or replacement of. poppet valves in internal combustion engines, particularly internal combustion engines as'mounted in automobiles and as confined and obstructed by the related parts, such as the generator, distributor;

an other parts of the automobile.

The primary objects of the present invention are to provide easy lneans'for manipulating the keeper gripping arms 9 to facilitate'the easy and quick insertion of the keepers in therespective jaws of the tool preliminary to their application to the valve stem, and to simplify the construction. In this application we show and describe only the preferred embodiment of our invention'simplyby .way of illustration of the practice thereof, as by law required. How

ever, we are well aware that our invention,

is capable of other and different embodiments and that the various details thereof may be modified in a number of different ways, all without departing from our said invention. Therefore, the drawing and de scription herein are to be considered as merely illustrative and not as exclusive. r In the accompanying drawing: c

Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a tool embodying our invention, with keeper elements E gripped between the respective pairs of stops and flanges and the cooperating gripping arms- 9;

Figure2, a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3, a sectional-view on the'line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4, a fragmentary detail sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5, a detail perspective view of one of the gripping arms 9 with its integral lever arm'16 and thumb piece 17;

Figure 6, a detail perspective view of. the Y hairpin type spring; and

Figure 7, a section on line 77 ofFig. 2.

All views of the drawing are made to actual full-size scale from an actual commercial physical embodiment of the tool.

In the embodimentillustrated two preferably light thin sheet metal members of generally U-shape in crosssection having their inner channel faces presented toward each other are provided with oppositely presented lugs l and 2, the lugs 2 of the one member fitting between the lugs 1 of the other, and a pivot pin 3 passing through said lapped lugs 1 and 2 and between the engaging arcuate fulcrum. faces '11' and through registering perforations in the ends of the stop member 4', and having its ends upset in usual known manner, serves to pivot- I ally connect the two members.

Each of the body members so pivotally connected preferably consists of a handle or lever portion 5 extending rearward from the I pivot 3 and an operative jaw 6 extending forward fromsaid pivot 3. 1

Each jaw has its inner edge portion cut out preferably in the form of a semi-circle or approximately of that shape, as at 7 ,adj acent its forward end, the cut-outs or notches of the respective jaws registering, when the jaws are closed, to together definea substantially circular or preferably substantially circular opening to preferably freely accommodate a valve stem between them when closed, said opening so defined preferably being of a diameter appreciably in excess of the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the valve stem, not shown, so that as the jaws are forced downward by the usual spring retainer, not shown, in stripping the keepers E from the-tool, the tool will not be caught between an opposing shoulder of the valve stem and the said spring retainer or cup.

The opposed inner edges of the jaws 6 will preferably be formed with preferably continuous flanges 8 from said notches 7 at diametrically opposite points of the opening defined by the jaws 6 when closed, said flanges extending lengthwise of the jaws 6. The function of these flanges 8 is to engage and act as stops for the straight radial faces of the corresponding keeper members or elements E as the latter are pressed against said stops by the corresponding keeper gripping arms 9.

The gripping arms 9 are formed preferably integrally with their respective operating or lever arms 16-, said arms merging with each other at about the point of the arcuate fulcrum face 11 formed in the edge of said composite arm member. The rear end of arm 16 is bent at a sharp angle and in mounted position projects through a cooperating slot in the web 10 of its corresponding arm 5 to provide a laterally extending thumb or finger piece 17 to be engaged by the thumb or finger of the mechanic. The inner edge face of the front end portion of each arm 9 is cut out in an elongated V-shape so as to engage and properly position the keeper element or cone member E, and the edge of said notch is downwardly and outwardly inclined to be parallel to, and to engage over a wide area, the opposed outer peripheral face of a keeper element E gripped between said arm i 9 and the cooperating stops or flanges 8 of the corresponding jaws 6.

. A hairpin type spring member having a loop or bight portion 14 extending preferably for more than 180 degrees about a washer or spacer block15 with arm portions 12 extending from said bight along therespective jaws 6 and having its forward end portions 13 bent abruptly toward the respective jaw members 6, and engaging the outer edge faces of the respective arms 9 serves the dual function of forcing the respective arms 9 toward their respective stops or flanges 8 and, by the engagement of said arms with said stops or with elements E interposed between the re spective arms 9 and their cooperating stops 8, of forcing the aws 6 toward each other to normal closed position.

To assemble the tool, the respective elements comprised of its arm 9 and its cooperating lever 16 and thumb piece 17 are arranged lengthwise in each sheet metal member, with the thumb piece 17 extending through the cooperating slot in the web 10 of said member, neXt the two thin sheet metal members are fitted together with the lugs a of the one fitted between the lugs 1 of the other. The spring member is then arranged in position about the spacing washer or block 15 and the pivot pin .3 and the stop member are then applied, the stop member 4. having end portions lying outside of one of the lugs 1 on the one hand and outside of the spacing block or washer 15 and the bight 14 of the spring on the other, and serving to retain the said bight of the spring in proper position, and the ends of the pivot pin 3 being upset against the adjacent portions of the outer faces of said stop t in usual known manner. Thus, the one pivot pin 3 serves to tie all parts of the tool together in operative relation.

The bottom or loop of the U-shape stop member 1 extends from side to side between the opposed channel faces of the handle or lever portions 5 and so positively prevents the movement of said handles 5 toward each other beyond a predetermined point.

Preferably the forward outer portions of the respective jaws 6 will be folded over against the lower faces of said jaws to reinforce said jaws at this point and to obtain a narrow forward end of the tool for greater case of access while bracing said jaws 6 at this point, so obtaining the smaller end of the tool without sacrificing strength of the indi vidual front end portions of the respective jaws 6, and without requiring the use of a ieavier weight or gage of sheet metal to maintain the desired strength of the jaws at such points.

In use, with the parts assembled as above described, to load the tool with the keeper elements or cone members E, it suffices to press first one thumb piece 17 inward so as; to cause the corresponding arm 9 to move away from the corresponding pair of stops 8 sufficiently to permit the insertion of a keeper element E between the opposed face of the V-shape notch of the arm 9 and the opposed faces of the cooperating pair of stops 8 of one of the jaws 6, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the same operation being repeated to load the other jaw 6, when the parts will be in the position illustrated in Fig. 1. Thereafter the handles 5 will be pressed toward each other to spread the aws 6 so as to receive the valve stem, not shown, in the notches 7 between the respective jaws 6 incident to the application of the gripped pair of keeper ele ments E in obvious and well known manner.

We claim:

1. A valve-stem locking element inserting tool comprising a pair of channel form sheet metal members, each comprisinga pair of vertically registering laterally presented perforated lugs, a handle portion extending to the rear of said lugs and a jaw portion extending forwardly of said lugs, said jaw portions having their opposed inner edges adjacent their front ends notched out in registry to cooperate in defining between them, in closed position, an opening to receive the valve stem; and stop means carried by said jaw portions respectively to be engaged by the respective radial faces of the respective locking elements, in combination with a pair 'of elements respectively disposed in said members, each said element comprising a gripping arm, a lever arm, an arcuate inwardly presented fulcrum face disposed at the point of mergence of said arms and a finger piece extending from the rear portion of said lever arm through a receiving slot in the web of its respective member, and said gripping arm being formed with a V-shaped centering notch presented toward and in transverse registry with the notch in its cooperating jaw portion of said member; a U-shaped stop member having plate portions disposed on opposite sides of the lapped lugs of said members and formed with perforations registering in assembledrelation with the perforations in said lu s and connected together by a strap exten ing, between the handle portions of said members; a spring having a loop or bight portion disposedbetween one of the plates of said stop member and the op osing face of the adjacent lug and being fbrmed with legs extending into the respective jawportions of said members, each said leg portion having its forward end abruptly bent toward its respective jaw portion to engage the laterally outer edge face of its cooperating gripping arm portion of said element to force the same toward its cooperating stop means; and a pivot pin extending through the plates of said stop member and the loop or bight of said spring and the lapped pairs of lugs of said sheet metal members, and being'engaged by the arcuate inwardly presented fulcrum faces of said elements to serve as a fulcrum point therefor, the ends of said pivot pin being upset to permanently secure all members and elements of the tool together in their operative relationship.

2. A valve-stem locking element inserting tool comprising a pair of channel form sheet metal'members, each comprising a laterally presented perforated lug, a handle portion extending to the rear of said lug anda aw portion extending forwardly of said lug, said jaw portions having their opposed 1nner edges adjacent their front ends notched out in registry to cooperate in defining between them, in closed position, an opening to receive the-valve-stem; and stop means carried by said jaw portions respectively to be engaged by the respective'radial faces of the respective locking elements, in combination with a pair of elements respectively disposed in said members, each said element comprising a gripping arm, a lever arm, an arcuate inwardly presented fulcrum face disposed at the point of mergence of said arms, and a finger piece extending from the rear portion of said lever arm through a receiving slot in the web of its respective member, and said grippingarm being formed with a V-shaped centering notch presented toward and in transverse registry with the notch in its 001 operating jaw portion offsaid member; a spring having a loop with e being forme gs extending into the res ective jaw portions of said members, eac said leg portion having its forward end portion engaging its cooperating gripping being engaged by the arcuate inwardly presented fulcrum faces of said elements to serve as a fulcrum point therefor. I

3. A valve-stem locking element insertingtool comprising a pair of channel formcsheet metal members, each comprising a laterally presented perforated lug, a'handle portion extending to the rear of said lug and a jaw portion extending forwardly of said lug, said jaw portions having their opposed vinner edges adjacent their front ends notched out in registryto cooperate in defining between them, in closed position, an opening to receive the valve-stem; and stop means carried by said jawportions respectively to'be engaged by the respective radial faces of the respective locking elements, in combination with a pair of elements respectively disposed in said members, each said. element comprising a gripping arm, and a lever arm; a s ring having a loop or bight portion and ing formed with legs extending into the respective jaw portions of said members, each said leg portion having its forward end engaging its cooperating gripping arm portion'of said element to force the same toward its cooperating stop' means; and a pivot-pin exor bight portion and a oint therefor, the ends of said pivot pin eing upset to permanently secure all members andelements of the tool together in their opera tive relationship. a

4. A valve-stem locking element inserting tool comprising a pair of pivotally connected members, each comprising a rearwardly extending handle portion and a forwardly extending jaw portion, said jaw portions having their opposed inner edges adjacent their front ends notched out in registry to cooperate in defining between them, in closed position, an opening to receive the valvestem, and stop means carried by said jaw portions respectively to be engaged by the respective radial faces of the respective locking elements, in combination with a pair of elements respectively mounted on said memgripping arm portions of said elements to force the said portions toward'their cooperiao ating stop means; and a pivot pin for pivotally connecting said members, said pivot pin being engaged by said elements to serve as a fulcrum point therefor.

5. A valve-stem locking element inserting tool comprising a pair of lever members connected to each other and mounted for swing ing movement toward and from each other in the same plane, said lever members having their opposed inner edges adjacent their front ends notched out in registry to cooperate in defining between them, in closed position, an opening to receive the valve-stem, and stop means carried by said lever members respectively adjacent the respective notches to be engaged by the respective radial faces of the respective locking elements, in combination with a pair of elements respectively swingably mounted on said members, each said element comprising a gripping arm and a lever arm, and a spring having portions respectively engaging the respective gripping arm portions of said elements to force the said portions toward their cooperating stop means.

6. In a valve tool, a pair of pivoted levers, a lug on each lever to engage the face of half of a split sleevevalve keeper adjacent one side thereof, and a second lug for engaging said face adjacent the other side thereof, in combination with a pair of elements respec tively swingably mounted on said levers, each said element comprising a gripping arm and a lever arm, and a spring having port-ions respectively engaging the said respective ele ments to force the respective gripping arm portions thereof toward their cooperating ugs.

' In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this 30th day of April, 1932.

' HARRY W. KULP.

MARTIN C. DELLINGER. 

